We crossed Mobile Bay on a car ferry to Dauphin Island then drove north to the beautiful Bellingrath Gardens located on the Fowl river in Theodore, Alabama. The 65 acre botanical gardens and mansion was created by Walter Bellingrath who made his fortune as the president of the Coca-Cola bottling plant in Mobile, Alabama. Once a year they allow an antique car show to take place on the grounds.

To celebrate the early spring time in Alabama we decided to invest an hour drive around the bay to Mobile, Alabama and enjoy the annual Festival of Flowers held on the grounds of Providence Hospital. It is considered to be the largest flower show on the entire Gulf Coast. The day was fraught with the occasional rain downpour but the festival was held in a huge tent complex. It consisted of many tents which were all connected and kept us high and dry. Being from the north it was still a surprise to see how early spring arrives in the south.

We spent the day attending one of the greatest no-cost things we’ve ever been to…The Naval Air Museum in Pensacola. There were no parking or entrance fees and the museum was stunning. We also checked out the lighthouse and the National Military cemetery located on the military base.

We would recommend this to anyone looking to spend a few hours understanding this branch of our military.

Before we left this area of Kentucky heading toward Pensacola, we decided to go and checkout the National Corvette Museum located in Bowling Green, KY just 30 miles south of our campsite. It was worth the $16 Senior Citizen ticket.

During 2012 we spent 4 months in Berrien Springs, Michigan. These pictures depict fall harvest scenes along with the general preparation for the upcoming winter. There are also a few pictures of Lake Michigan and how the aftermath of hurricane “Sandy” affected the surf.

We spent the day going to the Shipshewana flea market and traveled on part of the ”Quilt Gardens & Murals . . . along the Heritage Trail”. At various stops there were either flower gardens or wall murals that were designed to look like quilt blocks. It was very unique and gave us an excuse to see a lot of beautiful Indiana country side.